A national program offered by Community Education in partnership with ACAP Humber Arm will show educators how to integrate environmental ideas in their programs and curricula.

The program will examine methodologies related to people, wildlife and healthy environments and explain how to use these in school subjects and community youth programs. Project WILD will take place Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

“Upon completion, participants will receive official certification, the Project WILD and Below Zero activity guides and the Atlantic Canada Curriculum Guide, matching the Project WILD activities to the curriculum,” said Marilyn Forward, program developer at Community Education. “These are perfectly designed for teachers, community youth programs (scout or guide leaders) or post-secondary students interested in the environmental field.”

Project WILD is an interdisciplinary environmental and conservation education program delivered by the Wildlife Division, Department of Environment and Conservation. The program is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school.

In 2006 Project WILD is celebrating a milestone achievement of having trained 1,000,000 educators since its introduction in 1983. Utilizing the Project WILD curriculum, these educators have provided environmental education instruction to more than 53 million students enabling them to experience the outdoors and gain a deeper appreciation for wildlife and the need to conserve our natural resources.

Sheldon Peddle, executive director of ACAP Humber Arm, said this is a unique learning opportunity for educators in the western Newfoundland region, adding that the endorsement of the Western School Board adds a measure of encouragement for teachers to avail of this professional development opportunity.

“Having completed the Project Wild program more then a decade ago, I know first hand the tremendous benefit individuals take away from this course,” he said. “I draw from it on a regular basis, both for educational programming we run within the schools but also for our community outreach programs.”

There are limited spaces available. For more information or to register, contact the Division of Community Education and College Relations at commeduc@swgc.mun.ca or (709) 637-6208 or Sheldon Peddle at speddle@acaphumberarm.com or (709) 637-7309.